Multicompartment condiment holder



July 4, 1950 H.` cQL E MULTICOMPARTMENT CONDIMENT HOLDER Filed May 3, 1949 Patented July 4, 1 950 UNITED MULTICOMPARTMENT CONv 'IMENT lHOLDER' f Herbert cole, Boston, Mass.- Application May 3, 1949, Seia'IfN. '91,090

This invention relates to condiment holders and particularly to a condiment dispensing holder for a plurality of condiments including salt, pepper and sugar, an object of the invention being to provide a holder of the class described with a plurality of normally closed non-communicating compartments which are adapted to contain salt, pepper and sugar, respectively, and from either of which its contents may be manually delivered in regulated fashion by opening said compartment and shaking the device. l

Accordingly I have provided a condiment holder of the class and type described comprising a relatively large hollow sugar-holding body element to be seated in upstanding position upon a table or other support, said body element having separably connected with its upper end a removable cover element constructed with an outlet for sugar and also with tubular salt and pepper compartments each of which extends downwardly into the interior of the body element and is closed at its lower end. The upper ends of both tubular compartments and said outlet are each equipped with a pivotally supported finger-operated closure lever that is normally maintained in its closed position by a spring. Thus, while using the holder it may be heldA inverted by one hand and either of its three closure levers may be controlled and operated by a iinger of the same hand to deliver condiment from either compartment thereof.

Other features of the invention will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a condiment holder constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is an elevation of the upper portion of the holder shown in Fig. 1 as viewed from another side.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the holder shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged section on line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a relatively large transparent tubular body element I which is interiorly and exteriorly cylindrical and provided at its lower end with a bottom wall II, the interior of said body element providing a compartment I2 for holding a f relatively large volume of sugar.

The upper end portion of the body I 0 is eX- teriorly threaded to receive thereon the interiorly threaded skirt I3 of a cap I4 whose top wall is made approximately conical inside and outside 4 claims. (C1. 22a-129') lll and'formed at its center with a tubular boss I5 whose yinterior provides an outlet port I6 for chamber I2.vv Normally the outer end of the port I6 is closed by a pivoted closure lever Il, Fig. 4, while the Ainner end fof said port communicates Withchamber I2.

Closure lever Il is pivotally connected to a pair of lugs I8, Fig. 3, projecting laterally from one side of boss I5 by means of a pintle I9 on the intei-,mediate portion of which is mounted a coiled spring 20. One end of this spring bears against boss I5 while its opposite end engages the closure lever Il to yieldingly hold one arm of the same normally seated upon the top of boss I5 to close outlet port IB. Closure lever I'I is made with a nger actuated arm 2| projecting outwardly and cbliquely upwardly therefrom by means of which said'closure lever is swung away from boss I5 to open outlet port I6 and when said port is thus opened while the ldevice is inverted a stream of sugar is delivered by gravity ythrough the same, as Will be obvious.

vWith-in the chamber I2, Figs. 1 and 4, are arranged two longitudinally disposed tubular members 22 and 23 whose lower ends are closed, the interior of the former providing a compartment 24 for holding a supply of salt and the interior of the latter providing a compartment 25 for holding a'suppl'y'o'fpepper,v the upper end of the compartment 24 being in register with the lower end of the interior of an exteriorly threaded nipple 26 extending obliquely upwardly from and perpendicular to the conical wall of cap I4 at one side of the boss I5 and the upper end of the compartment 25 being in register with the lower end of the interior of an exteriorly threaded nipple 2l extending obliquely upwardly from and perpendicular to the conical wall of cap I4 at the opposite side of boss I5.

The nipple 2E has screwed thereon the interiorly threaded skirt of a cap 28 whose top wall is formed with a multiplicity of outlet apertures 29 While the nipple 21 has screwedthereon the interiorly threaded skirt of a cap 30 whose top wall is also formed with a multiplicity of outlet apertures 3l.

Normally the outer ends of the apertures 29 of cap 28 are closed by one of the arms of a pivotally supported closure lever 32 that is seated upon said cap, while the outer ends of the apertures 3l of cap 33 are closed by one of the arms of a pivotally supported closure lever 33, said lastmentioned arm being seated upon said cap 30.

Each cap 28 and 30 is made with a pair of spaced-apart laterally projecting apertured lugs 34, Figs. 3 and 4, disposed between a pair of apertured lugs 35 projecting downwardly from the proximate closure lever and to which they are pivotally connected by a pintle 36 occupying the `apertures of all four lugs. A coiled spring 31 mounted upon each pintle between each pair of lugs 34 bears at its one end against the skirt of the proximate cap and at its opposite end against its associated closure lever andsaid spring, being installed under initial-stress, serves to yieldingly hold its closure lever in aperture-closing position.

The tubular members 22 and.23 occupy :Dositions within the chamber I2 free and clear of the cylindrical wall surrounding the same so that when the body I0 is iilled with sugar :thelatter surrounds said members. This .construotionhas the advantage that should the sugar within body l0 cake, it can be broken up to a substantialex.- tent by rotating cap I4 and said members 22 and 23. Also `it, .isan .advantage that lumps of,v sugar forming-within the body -l 'may bebroken :up by shaking thelatter and ,causing said lumps tpimpinge -upon the tubular membersZZ and 23.

It is an advantageous v.feature ofthe devicethat The abovedescribedV constructionalso .provides A;

-for,-easily.cleaningall parts of .the interior oeffthe device and permittingthe diil'erent compartments to be filled with-easeand dispatch.

The above described constructionfalso provides for removal ofthe caps'28 and `30 when access is to be had to the interiors ofv the tubularamembers 2-2 and 23,and as will be clear the closure .levers 32 and 33, .being mounted on said caps, `are `removed with the latter.

What I claim is:

l. A cond-iment holder comprising ya Arelatively large hollow body element thatis vclosedat I,one end by a bottom wall and adapted .to be supported in an upstanding position .upon a table or other support; a cover separably connected with the top of said body element and yhaving an interiorly conical top wall provided at its middle with an outlet that is extended through an -upstanding Centrally disposed boss formed uponvthe exterior of said cover, the top of said boss providing a seat for one arm of a closure lever; a closure lever pivotally connected intermediate its opposite ends to said boss at one side thereof; a spring for yieldingly holding said closure lever arm seated upon said boss; a tubular condiment holder within said body element connected adjacent to its one end with the top wall of said cover at fone side of the outlet thereof, said tubular holder being closed at its lower end and provided at its upper end with a plurality of outlet apertures; a second tubular condiment holder within `s ad body `.element connected adjacent to its one end with the top wall of said cover at another side of the outlet thereof, said second tubular holder being also closed at its lower end and provided at its upper end with a plurality of outlet apertures; two closure levers, each associated with the outlets of one of said tubular holders and pivotally supported intermediate its opposite ends by said cover, and two springs oeoh violdinsly holding one of Seid` TJWo `closure levers its outlet-olosin-gposition.

.2.Acondlment-fho1dor according to claim 1 wherein Vthe interior of leach tubular condimenti holder foommunicatcs adjacent to fits upper end with the-interior of a tubular'exteriorly threaded nipple-provided upon Ythe exterior of the top Wall o i l said cover a-tone side of said boss; wherein an interiorly threaded cap; provided with an lapertured top Wall is'screwed into position upon each nipple, and wherein the epertured top wall of each Ycap serves as a seat for .an varm of the closure lever 'associated with said cap.

.3- ;A oondimont :holder @coordine to claim 2 wherein theclosurelever of each tubular holder isgpivotally .mounted uponfthe cap of the latter.

nfl; A fcpndirnent --liolder 4according to claim 2 wherein-the closure lever of each tubular holder yisbn/@tally oo111.111este@ :tothe can of the latter by Va rindo, and Whore-in the ,Spring associated with said closure lever-is yazcoiled spring through which said pintle extends withv `one -end aof said spring bearing against 'saidtcap and its opposite Pond bearing :against .said Closure lever.

HERBERT COLE.

Noreferences cited. 

